Nonflooding fountain pen



Nov. 16, 1954 B. F. M|Es`sNER NONFLOODING FUNTAIN PEN Filed June '7, 1951 United States Patent NONFLOODING FOUNTAIN PEN Benjamin F. Miessner, Morristown, NUI.

Application June 7, 1951, Serial No.I 230,378

12 Claims. (Cl.` 1Z0-42.16)

`rI`his invention relates to non-ilooding fountain pens which are `not inuenced .by the 'pressure variations of the air in lthe ink reservoir, relative to external air pressure, which are induced by variations of temperatures and/ or barometric pressure.

The present invention. is more particularly an Aimprovement on the inventions 'disclosed in my copending patent application Serial No. 206,678.1iled January 18, 1951, now Patent Number 2,642,041.

In this application there is shown a/radially depressable ink valve between the ink collector and the ink reserf voir, and a longitudinally stili, radially compressible ybarrel .in Contact around this valve. In. order to `lill such pens, the barrel is compressed radially across .the internal nipple valve. This opens ythe valve slit and at the same time compresses the air in the barrel, thus expelling apart of it. Withthe pen pointend immersed in ink, release of the transverse barrel pressure allows it to spring back to cylindrical form having allargervolurnetric capacity. The internal air pressure is .thus reduced and the `higher ,external atmospheric air pressure forces ink into the barrel. The ink collector is -also filled with ink `'so that subsequent operations, with. the pen point held upwardly for -air removal, may,.if reasonable care is not taken, expel some of this collector ink, i. e. `that is in the axial channel, as well as `air from the barrel. Thus a drop or two of ink may overflow the vpointend, run down the ypen barrel, and. soil the lingers.

Even if the axial channel in the collector, from which radial connecting holes pass to the ink-collecting capillary spaces, is of small volumetric capacity so that `but little ink will be expelled from it, point up, before air is expelled in the repeated vfilling operations, .ink may still adhere to the outside surface of the pen around -the point, due to submersion vand then rundown `the barrel to the iingers when the pen is turnedpoint-up toexpel more air.

Since such repeated-operations .are needed to llfthe pen barrel, this may be accompanied .by repeated overowing and wetting and staining -of the Lusers ngers. It is this possible objection that is now overcome inthe present invention, which accomplishes the 'filling through the top end of the pen, via a small ink-filler tubel extending ink tight through this end, axially within the barrel, and to a point adjacent the nipple valve.' yA screw cap encloses the outer or top endof this ink .ller tube after the iilling operation is completed. This tube is used only for the filling operation, and this is inf no sense an air pressure equalizing tube, since its outer end is sealed by the screw cap .having an internal gasket, after the barrel has been filled. It thus can `pass ,neither air nor ink when the barrel-top cap is screwed'tight.

My present invention is illustrated in the Vattached drawing wherein:

Figure l is a sectional view on a much enlarged scale of the pen end of the structure;

Figure la is a view showing the upper part vot" the pen structure shown in Figure 1;

. Figure 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure la but on a reduced scale and showing a modied form of the ink receptacle part of the pen;

Figure 4 shows a modification of the lower part of the construction shown in Figure 3.

' Referring now to the details wherein like numbers 4refer .tok corresponding parts `in the .diierent views, 1 is 80 the hood of the pen and 2 the barrel orink container.

2,694,382 Patented Nov. 16, 1954 These parts 1 and 2 are interconnected by a connector 3 having one portion threaded at 4 to .receive corresponding threads .on the upper .end of the hood 1. The other portion 5 of the connector.3 acts to clamp the nipple valve 6 to the. lower end ofthe ybarrel 2, the union betweenthese .parts being `ink tight. The connector or support member 3 has an annularcollar 7 against which the hood and barrel 2 and nipple 6engage so as to make an ink tight joint. The barrel, 2 is .madeof any suitable material, preferablytransparent and which is longitudinally stit butdiametricallyilexible or compressible for reasons to be later pointed out. In the upper end of the barrel 2 is cemented a plug V8 having an extending portion 9 of a reduced diameter withl threads 10 thereon to receive a removable cover cap 11 which ycontains a compressible gasket 12 which may be of rubber, corkv or the equivalent. When the cap 11 is-screwed tight against the shoulder 13..onthe plug 8, thegasket 12 is tightly` compressed against the outer end of the plugv making .an ink tight joint. Extending tightly through the `part 9 and terminating ,at its outer end, .is an ink iiller tube 14, which may be made of any suitable material such as'stainless steel, ,plasticor .the equivalent and this tube extends axially and almost; the full length of the barrel 2 up to a .point close to the nipple valve 6. Thistube 14 may have an inside diameter of about '-.050 inch and a wall thickness of .005 to .010 inch. An ink collector 15 tits closely inside the -nipple support portion 5, .especially at itsy end through to theslightly enlarged annularshoulder 17 and a reduced end 16 preferably tapered to fit the inner surface of -the nipple 6 and leaving an opening 16' above the upper end of the-fins and the end of the collector. In the portion ,or section of the connectorwhich extends into` the barrel 2 there is a plurality of very thin radial ns 18 surrounding a solid section 19 having a small axial hole 20 therethrough. These fins 18 andthe spaces betweenfthem .may have a thickness ofthe `order of 5 to 10 mils. The material of which the collector is made is preferably of Lucite but maybe of some other .satisfactory.material.

Toward the ypen end of the collector and partially inside the nipple and connector 3 is a solid portion 21 having a collar 22. which Vengages the Aend of the connector 3. i Extending from rthis collar 22 towards the pen end is another radial iin section 23 which terminates adjacent the solid annularshoulder 17. -The solid annular shoulder 17 .and its inwardly extending yportion has a bore in whichthesplit.cylindrically `shaped shank l'24 ofthe pen is held. An air ltube 25. which passes through thel shank of the pen 4is 'press fitted at 26 into a smaller bore in kthe central solid portion. lThis air `tube 25' is aboutv 5to 10 mils smaller in `diametergthan the inside diameter of the penpoint and v extends outwardly to within l1A; to TA6 of an inch of the pen. nibs 27. The shoulder 17 of the solid portion` of the Acollector has a diameter of about Simils larger -than the adjacent fins and therefore ts snugly into the ltapered bore of the hood. 'Between this lin section ofthe -collector and the hood there is an annular spaceZS of about 5 mils in thickness.

ySurrounding 4theshank 24 isa longitudinal bore 29 in the hood which is about 5 to 10fmils larger in diameter than the outside diameter of ythepen shank. This forms an `annular ink space around the shank of the pen where it protrudesfrom its seat lin the collector. The bore 29 terminatesin an annularspace 29 that is the terminus for at least the hole 31- which-extends in vertical alinement'throughy the length ofthe collector including both of the n sections Vwhich are circular in form. Each tin has a slit 30-preferably located oppositer the hole 31 all as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The pen point is thus bathed -inink vby its .outer and inner ink containing spaces to apoint veryfclose .to -the tip end of Ythe nibs 27. Extending longitudinally -through the entire collector 1s at least one-slit'30, which shouldnot be wider than about 5 to 10 mils. The use of this slit is forv the purpose or assuring ink flow` longitudinally through the entire collector lfrom the nipple -valve v`to the -pen point. As an alternate arrangement I have shown a very small hole 31 which may -be used in -place of the slit 30 or both may be '.iised asshown in. .Figure 2. Preferably the capillary spaces between the fins should be of smaller thickness or width at the pen end than at the ink reservoir end so that the ink will be drawn penward rather than held at the barrel end of the collector. The pen is provided with the usual hole 32 to assist in passing ink to the pen nib 27.

In Figure 3 I have shown an ink container 33 of rubber, mounted within the barrel 2 and securely cemented at its end 34 to the plug 9 while its lower end 35 is cemented along with the nipple 6 to the barrel 2 and shoulder 7 of the support member 5.

As shown in Figure 4 the ink container 33 may be folded inwardly to form the nipple 6. While I have shown and described a preferred form of my invention with respect to the feed and collector means I may use one of my other types of less or greater ink capacity for example as shown in my co-pending application heretofore referred to. However, the present invention is concerned chiefly with the novel ller principles herein described, which overcomes the disadvantages which may E occur in the lilling methods described in said co-pending application. Coming now to the operation of my present structure to iill the pen with ink the top end cap 11 is removed and this end submerged in an ink supply vessel.

The thin wall barrel 2 is then compressed diametrically as between the thumb and forelinger and at any portion along the mid-section of the barrel. This will not open the nipple valve V per se, since to do this the barrel must be squeezed across or close to the valve V and in a direction parallel to its slit V. Pressure across any diameter of the barrel along its mid section will therefore decrease the barrels volumetric capacity and will compress the air in the barrel, expelling a part of it, through the iiller tube, and then bubble up through the ink in the ink vessel. When this barrel squeezing pressure is removed, the flexible barrel resumes its cylindrical shape, of higher volumetric capacity, thus reducing the internal air pressure. Atmospheric pressure on the ink of the vessel then forces ink into the pen barrel, through the iillei' tube 14. Five to ten such operations will su'ice to completely till the pen barrel, after which the pen is removed from the ink vessel, wiped dry, and its end cap 11 replaced, thus sealing the ink filler tube against ink or air leakage. The pen is then turned point down at a convenient angle and, with the open end of the hood 1 and the outer end of the collector turned towards the user, the pen is then grasped between the forenger, beneath, and the thumb, on top, across the nipple valve end of the barrel. This places the plane of the nipple valve slit V parallel to the direction of squeezing pressure and the open side end of the hood in full view. The barrel is then squeezed until ink appears at the open end of the hood 1, and then released. This operation opens the nipple valve V, squeezes ink into the collector and with the release of the squeezing pressure draws the excess ink followed by air back through the nipple valve V and into the barrel, leaving the ink collector 15 filled with ink, which is held in it by capillary attraction, and

the air hole clear of ink. The plurality of radial fin spaces, the annular spaces 28 between the pen point end fin section and the hood, the similar annular spaces 28 between the barrel end and the adjacent fin section and the nipple bore, and the annular spaces inside and outside the pen point are thus all filled with ink. The ink ows from the barrel, under slight pressure, when the barrel is squeezed to open the nipple valve V, through this valve into the longitudinally positioned radial slits 30 in the collector, from which it feeds into the lateral, radial iin spaces, and the annular spaces around these tins. As the in k progresses down the fin sections it pushes their contained air downwardly and out of the open end of the hood, saturating the collector solidly with ink as the ink moves downward, until all of the contained air has been replaced by ink. The ink then continues on through the point end of the collector and fills the annular spaces inside and outside of the pen point, until it appears at the open end of the hood. The barrel pressure is then removed and the. barrel resumes its cylindrical shape of larger volumetric capacity. As this pressure is relaxed, the ink in the small axial hole 20 through the collector and feed bar and between the valve and the adjacent end o f the collector is drawn back into the barrel, followed by air, before the valve closes, thus clearing this axial hole of ink and replacing the ink with air having free access in and out to the open atmosphere., The ink in gold, aluminum, nickel, magnesium, or the like.

the collector spaces between the nipple valve V and the open end of the hood is thus subject only to capillary and hydrostatic forces, with no force acting on it due to expansion or contraction of the air in the barrel end o f the collector, since the small axial hole 31 or longitudinally positioned radial slits 30 in the fins through the entire collector assembly from the open end of the feed bar inward, acts as a pressure equalizing device. Warming of the air above the ink level in the collector, as by the users thumb and foretinger, or reduction of external atmospheric pressure, will cause such contained air to expand out through the open end of the feed bar hole, without forcing any ink out of the collector. Likewise cooling of the hood and nipple end of the pen, or increase of external atmospheric pressure, will cause air to ow into the pen through the axial hole to the inside of the nipple valve and thence down into any of the collector spaces not occupied by ink.

Since the capillary spaces radial and axial-parallel have sufficient capillary attraction to prevent free outow of their collected ink, the ink will remain therein in any position of the pen and will only feed out from these spaces pen-ward when the pen point is in contact with a writing surface, as in writing. The entire ink writing capacity of the collector spaces can thus be written out of the collector irrespective of any air pressure effects.

When the collector ink supply is thus written out, the barrel is again squeezed across the nipple valve V to refill the collector. Since the collector never floods the pen point, it writes without over wetness, and thus conserves the ink supply, so that one lling of the collector is sutlicient for writing tive to ten pages of writing paper. Since the barrel reservoir has an ink capacity of tive or more times than that of conventional fountain pens, one filling is sufficient for an extraordinarily large amount of writing.

It is seen therefore, that the herein disclosed and novel method of filling my nipple valve pen through the top end, rather than through the point end, results in a pen structure which is easily filled and allows easy periodic expulsion of ink into the collector, which itself cannot overow due to its sufficient capillary attraction and absence of air pressure variations, and in the main barrel reservoir of which air pressure increase over external air pressure cannot force ink out unless the nipple valve V is opened by barrel pressure at a particular location and in a particular direction. Thus the point flooding, due to the warming effects of the hand, or otherwise, on the air in the barrel is prevented, since the resultant increase in internal air pressure on the convex nipple valve surface only seals its slit the tighter. Conversely, if the internal air pressure becomes sufficiently lower than external air pressure, due to cooling of the air in the barrel, or to an increase in external air pressure, the nipple valve V will bulge barrelward, relaxing the normal pressure of the slit walls against each other, and thus allow air to seep into the barrel through the axial air breather hole 20 through the feed bar and collector. Thus this pen cannot flood due "i to an excess of internal air pressure, nor can it refuse to write due to a lowering of internal over external air pressure.

While I prefer to use transparent materials such as Lucite, nylon, etc., for the construction of my pen, so that the ink supply and the internal operation of the pen may be readily observed, an alternate construction involves the coating of the inside surfaces of the barrel, barrel-end cap, and the hood with a thin film, say one mil or a fraction thereof, with such materials as silver, Such internal coatings of small thickness will not materially affect the flexibility of the barrel, but will obstruct the passage of light so that the internal operation is not visible, and at the same time provide a highly light rep ecting surface of the desired color, gold, silver, etc. in-

side the barrel where it is protected by the transparent barrel itself from wear. Obviously these coating materials must not be corroded by the ink inside the barrel. If the ink supply is desired to be visible, a narrow strip along one side of the barrel may be left uncoated and thus transparent so that the level of the ink in the barrel can be readily seen. Instead of the metallic inner coatings, I may use opaque lacquer coatings of varying colors, or the barrel and hood material may be made of transparent celluloid, acetate or nitrate, nylon, or the equivalent and a highly reflecting metallic coating of neutral color such as silver, nickel, aluminum, -or the equiva,

lent may be given the inside surfaces.

The metallic coatings ma; be produced by condensation of metallic vapors under vacuum, as in telescope and other front surface mirrors by electro-deposition, or the equivalent.

While a conventional point end cover and carrying cap with attached clip may of course be supplied with this pen, but is not shown, as being obvious.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A fountain pen of the class described including a support member, a hood having one end removably attached to said member, a nipple of suitable exible material carried on the end of the support opposite vto the hood end and having a slit without loss of material at its free end, an ink container having one end carried by the support over the nipple end on the support, said container being longitudinally stiff but diametrically compressible, a plug of suitable rigid material securely fastened to the outer end of the ink container, the plug having an extension beyond the ink container with a hole therethrough, a cap removably attached to said plug extension, a gasket carried within the cap for sealing said hole in the plug extension when the cap is on, an ink collector having one end located within said nipple support and its opposite end extending into the hood and supported therein, the pen end of the collector having a bore to receive the shank of a pen While the pen end of the hood has a bore large enough to provide an annular ink space around the writing end of the pen, an ink filler tube having one end located in said plug hole and extending to a point close to the free valve end of the nipple, the collector having an axially located hole longitudinally of its length, an air tube extending from the collector and having an air hole in axial alignment With the air hole in the collector, spaced n members on the exterior of said collector and means associated with the collector for feeding ink to said tins and from them to the pen point as and for the purpose described.

2. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further dened in that said means for feeding ink to the iins and from them to the pen point includes, an annular space next to the pen end of the collector, said space being at the inner end of the large bore which surrounds the pen point, and at least one relatively small longitudinal passageway through the entire length of the collector and intercepting the said fins and opening into said annular space.

3. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further defined in that means for feeding ink to the iins and from them to the pen point includes, an annular space next to the pen end of the collector, said space being at the inner end of the large hood bore which surrounds the pen point, and at least one relatively small longitudinal passageway through the entire length of the collector and intercepting the said ns and opening into said annular space, said passageway being preferably in the form of a slot.

4. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 1 further dened in that said means for feeding ink to the ns and from them to the pen point includes, an annular space next to the pen end of the collector, said space being at the inner end of the large hood bore which surrounds the pen point, and at least one relatively small longitudinal passageway through the entire length of the collector and intercepting the said fins and opening into said annular space, said passageway being in the form of circular holes going straight through the fins, the holes being spaced a substantial distance from the base of the ns.

5. A fountain pen as herein described comprising, a hood having internal threads at one end, a connector threaded at one end to receive the threaded end of the hood, said connector having near its central portion an extending collar against one side of which the hood engages, an ink barrel carrying a nipple within it and both engaging the other side of said collar and securely fastened to said connector, a collector having a solid portion intermediate its ends, said portion having a collar for receiving the inner end of said conductor, the oposite end of which extends within the nipple, the nipple having a free end extending within the barrel and beyond the conneetor, the collector having one end extending through the connector and to a point adjacent the inner free end of the nipple while its opposite end extends a considerable distance into ythe-hood and terminates in an annular shoullector on opposite sides of said solid portion located intermediate-the ends yof the collector, the ns nearest the pen point extending from said solid portion to said annular shoulder over said annular space, and means for feeding ink into said fins and from them to the bore around said pen point, the collector having a bore at the pen point end to receive the shank of a pen while the hood has a bore larger than the pen shank to provide an ink space therearound, -the free end of the barrel having a plug fixed therein, the plug having a threaded extension to receive a cap and a centrally located hole therethrough, a gasket carried withinA the cap to close said plug hole, a iillerftube fastened in said plug hole and extending to a point near the free end of the nipples which has a slit therein without loss of material, vthe slot being in alignment with said filler tube, while the barrel is axially rigid but radiallyfcompressible as and for the purpose described.

6. A fountain pen as set forthin claim 5 further defined in that the collector has closely spaced tins on its outer -periphery except `at said collar portion while said fins on one side of said rod member have slits'therein while on the opposite side a small hole extends longitudinally through the collector to said annular space.

7. A fountain pen as set forth in claim 5 further delined in that the collector has closely spaced tins on its outer periphery except at said collar on the solid member, the ns on the collector end toward the pen point being closer together or more nely spaced than those at the nipple end of the collector.

8. A fountain pen structure having a hood with meansv for carrying a pen point at the free end of the hood and an interconnected ink carrying barrel and means for filling the barrel with ink by inserting the free end of the barrel into an ink supply container, said means including a plug permanently and non-movably xed in the free end of the barrel, the plug having a hole therethrough with a filler tube having one end permanently and non-movably located in said hole, and extending toward the pen end of the structure, a nipple support fastened to the hood, a nipple also fastened to said support and to the inner wan of the barrel at its end opposite to said plug, said nipple having a normally closed slit valve located close to and in alignment with the free end of said liller tube, the barrel being axially rigid but radially flexible whereby variable pressure applied diametrically thereto about midway of the barrel will cause ink to come through the tube into the barrel as described.

9. A fountain pen structure as set forth in claim 8 further defined in that an ink collector is carried within said nipple support, one end of the collector extending into the nipple to a point adjacent the said nipple valve while the other end of the collector extends into a fixed portion in the hood, the collector having an air hole through it and having an extension to a point near the pen nibs, the collector also having fins on its exterior surface with means for passing ink all through the fins and to the pen point, the ink being passed from the barrel to the collector by opening said nipple valve by pressure applied to the barrel at point approximately opposite to and in a direction parallel with the valve slit with the pen held in point down position as described.

l0. A fountain pen including a hood and barrel interconnected by a support member, the barrel being radially compressible, and a nipple having a valve only opened when the barrel is compressed as specified, the nipple being held to said support in conjunction with the barrel and having its free end with the valve therein extending into the barrel, a collector extending through said support and engaging the hood at one end while the other end enters the nipple, the hood having a bore larger than the diameter of the pen shank, the collector having an air hole therethrough with means providing communication from the air hole to a point closely adjacent the open end of the pen point the shank of which is attached to the collector the exterior of which has a plurality: of means. vfor. holding'ink andzpassing the same along to the penv nibs viaythe said bore in the hood, the free, end of the barrelhaving a plug therein with a hole therethrough andV an-,ink-Y tube fastenedin said plug hole and extending to a point close to the nipple valve as and for the purpose described.

11. A fountain penas set forth in claim 10 further dened in that the means for storing ink on the exterior part of the collector are a plurality of closely spaced tins, those on the end of the collector nearest the shank of the pen point preferably being more nely spaced than the fins on the opposite endof the collector and at least one passagewaythrough the ns longitudinally of the collector and meansffor moving this stored ink to the pen nibs as described.

12. A fountain p'en'having a hood carrying a pen point and an interconnected ink barrel with axially compressiblewalls, a collector arranged in two co-operative sections, one section being located entirely within the hood andthe other section being partly within the hood and partly within the barrel for receiving ink from the barrel and passingit along to the pen point, a nipple located within the end of the barrel that is connected to the hood and extending `over the inner end of the collector, the nipple having a normally closed slit in its free end, a connector having a circular ange intermediate its ends to receive the end of the hood on one side and the barrel on the otherside with the normal open end of the nipple also engaging the said-flange and held thereto between the barrel and connector, the connector having one end terminating within the nipple below the end of the collector,` the collector having a solid centrally located@ section extending longitudinally therethrough with a cen-1:'Ak

trally located hole extending to a point adjacent the shank of the pen, the collector also having both its sections carrying a plurality of closely spaced'circular fins with at least one hole extending all the length of the collector ,through said tins, closure means including a removable cap for sealing the free or top end of the barrel, a tube extendingv from a point within the cap to a point close to said slit in the nipple, ink being passed from the barrel to the collector by `pressure applied to the barrel at a point approximately opposite to and in a direction parallel with the valve slit after the cap is removed and this end of the pen stuck into a source of ink supply.

References Cted'in the le of this patent UNrrED STATES PATENTS 

